Not Quite Paradise
by JulieM
Summary: Harm and Mac go on investigation to an island paradise…seemingly. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Harm and Mac go on investigation to an island paradise…seemingly.

Disclaimer: JAG and its main characters belong to DPB and to CBS. I don't make any profit from writing any of these fics, but simply get to exercise my overactive imagination every now and then. Please don't sue me, as I'm just a student with no money!

Rating: M, a bit further in, for adult situations and very emotive content.

Author's warning: This story was begun in December of 2004. It was finished before Boxing Day of that year, a day that changed the lives of so many, in many different countries throughout the world. Some of the similar circumstances you will find in this story and other instances of natural disasters will be unnerving, to say the least. I know that they still catch me by surprise, even now. Needless to say, I delayed in posting this story because I believed that emotions were still much too raw to do so, my own included. The plan was to post further on in the year…but the events just kept coming. 2005 was a bad one for many, who have since faced rebuilding their lives. I have done my best to portray this story with a sense of compassion, humanity and in keeping with good taste. I hope I have managed to get across the important message behind this story adequately, as well as including some special interaction between our favourite shipper couple. Never-the-less, I must include a strong warning that some may find it difficult to deal with the images conjured up during this story, especially in the aftermath of the many natural disasters that occurred last year.

Category: H/M shipper.

Spoilers: The end of season 9, the events of 'Hail and Farewell.' Also, a little bit of 'Going After Webb.'

AN: I'm afraid that I have little idea about the geography of the islands collectively known as Vanuatu. The events of this story are therefore based mostly upon imagination. There is an island called Malekula, but I have little idea about the people, their traditions or the weather they experience. If anyone who reads this actually knows something about Vanuatu and it's people, I'd be very interested to hear about it! However, please accept this story in the adventurous spirit in which it was intended.

Oh yeah, and feedback is always very 1

Saturday, July 5th

2345 Local

Malekula Guest House,

Malekula, Vanuatu

Harm gave a sigh as he sank into his bed.

'Well,' he thought, "the _whole_ week hasn't all been that bad.'

Sure, Mac was now even more awkward around him, which was going to cause difficulty, because it was just the two of them, away on investigation on a tiny island in the Coral Sea. Just how had things gone so suddenly wrong?

OOOO

Monday, June 31st.

1103 Local

Malekula Ferry Port,

Malekula, Vanuatu

The week had started off well enough; they had arrived on the island of Malekula in Vanuatu after a long journey to be greeted by sun, sand and sea and not too tough a week ahead of them. They were investigating a set of mishaps occurring at a small research station sponsored by the US military, out in the dense rainforest. However the rest of their time was spent in a small village, a couple of hours away. They had been welcomed warmly by the people, both those contracted in to work at the station and those local to the island. They had settled into their sparse but pleasant accommodation then spent the next few days investigating at the research station.

On the fourth evening they had sat down and written their preliminary report, which the research station would e-mail to JAG Headquarters, seeing as it was the only place with such technology. Even the few hotels on the island had no such luxury; they didn't have air-conditioning or ceiling fans, let alone e-mail! The report, outlining the chance nature of the mishaps and advising no further investigation, was sent off the very next morning and Harm and Mac then settled back to enjoy the rest of their time there.

OOOO

The next day was a public holiday, so all inhabitants launched into a flurry of preparation for a night of celebrations. Harm and Mac watched the decorations for a parade and a street party go up. Because there would be a large feast after the parade, by afternoon the air had filled with the incredible aroma of enticing, exotic foods. Children were running around excitedly, because all schools were out for the day. They all wore their best clothes, because it was customary to visit relatives and neighbours, especially the elderly ones, during the day before the festivities began.

"What a wonderful custom!" Mac exclaimed to Harm, as they saw children running in and out of houses, "If only the youth back home afforded their elders such respect."

"If only," Harm agreed, "Some do, but most don't."

After that, Harm and Mac met up with some of the workers from the station, who had all come through to watch the festive events. Sipping refreshing, non-alcoholic beverages (which Harm thought was a nice change from the norm, but could not blame, later on), they chatted in relaxation with some of the people they had met over the past few days.

"So are you going to be taking part in the parade, Ms. Tomašić?" Mac asked one woman who had provided them with a lot of help during the course of her investigation.

The young woman, probably in her late twenties, looked up in surprise from where she was fiddling with a small, hand-made grass skirt. She just laughed as she caught onto Mac's joke, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, gosh, no!" she laughed, holding the garment up, "I doubt that this would go around one of my legs! No, this is for my daughter, for the dance performance that she and her school will be doing tonight, after the celebration dinner. All week she's insisted on wearing it to rehearsals, so the grass in it had been getting thinner and thinner. Yesterday, I knew that something would have to be done about it…and please, call me Janna."

Mac was surprised to hear that the woman had a child, not only was she young, but she also spent the majority of her time at the research station (At least over the time she and Harm had been there.)

"How old is your daughter, Janna?" Harm got pulled into the discussion because of the subject matter. The past few days had been a welcome distraction for him, since Mattie had moved back to her Mother's house in Blacksburg to live with her Father. He desperately missed her and never missed the chance to get into the whole 'parent-child' discussion again. Even just talking and comparing stories with other parents cheered him up a bit.

"She's six and getting smarter and smarter by the week!" Janna Tomašić smiled and Harm nodded in understanding, "I only get to see her each weekend, but she's just growing so fast. Sometimes I'm worried that I'm missing it all."

"That must be hard," Harm sympathised, "when she can't stay at the station with you."

He hadn't seen any children at the station over the week he and Mac had been there.

"The station is no place for a child to live," Janna shook her head, "and Mara has her schooling to concentrate on. But she can come to the station to visit every second weekend and I make the journey across the island to stay in the village with her every weekend between those, so it is not so bad. But she seems to be growing up in barely the blink of an eye. One day, she will no longer be my baby."

By now many other people had gotten into the conversation, so they all began swapping stories. Harm and Mac gradually tuned out, Mac because she felt decidedly out of place and Harm because he misinterpreted her unease as upset.

"Sorry for going on and on, back there," he told her later, when most of the group had dispersed and they were on their own again, "I should have thought about how it might upset you, having to listen to that all, especially in light of…everything with the endome…"

"Oh, it didn't upset me, really Harm," Mac assured him, as she shook her head, "I just felt a little out of place with the whole children-talk, when I'm childless, myself. I mean, I have little AJ, Jimmy and the twins as my God-children, but it's not really the same thing."

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Harm checked.

"Of course!" Mac exclaimed, "How could it not be? Look at where we are; it's a literal paradise, here. Life is so simple, so laid-back. Every person here is happy, from the youngest child to the oldest great, great-grandparent. Everyone is getting in on the celebrations!"

And indeed they were! A group of elderly men had started up the music, playing on traditional instruments and it seemed that the whole village was alive with festivities and good cheer.

"I wish everything was this simple back in DC," Harm commented.

Mac couldn't help but agree. Everything had been very difficult, lately. Much change had gone on at JAG Headquarters in DC; Admiral Chegwidden had retired, several members of staff, including Sturgis Tuner, had been moved onto other duty stations and to Harm and Mac Falls Church felt less like the 'family atmosphere' that they had taken for granted previously. Now, with so little going on with those around them, Harm and Mac were spending more and more time together. This might have been a good thing, if they were able and ready to address some of the issues between them, but they were both still as out-of-synch with each other as ever. Some things never changed!

"At last," Janna exclaimed as she came to sit back down at the table. She tossed a small wreath of weaved flowers and vines onto the table, obviously the crown to accompany the grass skirt that she had re-weaved for her daughter.

"I've been working for three weeks on this outfit," she told them, "I know plenty about geology and rock formations, but ask me about weaving, braiding and foliage and I'm absolutely lost!"

"Your daughter and her class are dancing?" Mac asked, looking at the pretty headband of beautiful, fresh flowers.

Janna nodded, "It's not exactly the national dance of Vanuatu, but it has special significance to the people here. You'll see it after dinner tonight, but if I had to describe it, I'd say it looked like a cross between Hawaiian and New Zealand traditional dancing. It has elements of the Hakka and the Hula."

"The Hakka and the Hula? That's quite a blend!" Harm smiled, "Is your daughter's school the one on the other side of the village from here?"

"No," Janna told him, "It's across the island from here. The school is quite a bit more rural than the one here, but I wanted her to fully embrace the culture here. She even stays with a local family. She can learn the basics of education and a lot about Vanuatu's culture, I can supplement that with what I feel she's missing out on, then, when she gets old enough, she can travel to a more developed school. For now, I just want her to enjoy being a child."

"It's a wonderful environment to grow up in," Mac commented and Harm nodded in agreement.

OOOO


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Just a quick thank you to all those who left review for me! They were great to read!

OOOO

Part 2

They didn't get to discuss this any further, because a large group of children came running up the main street and Janna excused herself. It seemed that the children from her daughter's school had arrived and Janna was eager to see her child.

"Mika?" she approached one of the children, "Where is Mara?"

Harm and Mac understood only the child's name in this sentence, because Janna was speaking Vanuatu. The child replied something back then quickly rejoined her classmates.

Janna crossed back to the table and sat down again, explaining, "Mara will just be a few minutes, she and some other children are helping the teacher unload the costumes for the performance."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, until Janna rose from her seat once more. She must have seen something they didn't, because she moved quickly out into the street, though Harm and Mac couldn't see what she was looking at. Just as suddenly, a little girl appeared through the crowds and launched herself into Janna's arms.

"Mamma!" the child exclaimed, hugging her mother, "I have missed you."

"I have missed you too, little-one," Janna reciprocated, "What have you been doing in school this week?"

"We've been making masks and decorations and food and all kinds," the child chattered away in Vanuatu's national language, before her Mother gently halted her.

"In English," she insisted, "Tell Mamma in English."

The little girl did so, without a moment of hesitation. It seemed that she was just as comfortable in the non-native language as in her first language, unlike her mother. After that, Janna brought the child over to the table and introduced her to Harm and Mac. Around Mac, the child was quiet and reserved, but when she met Harm, there was something that seemed to spark in her eyes. Mac was not quite sure what it was, maybe it was just because Harm was a very tall man, one very obviously good-looking and also at ease around children. Maybe something subtle in his body language gave this impression. But the child still talked to them for a while, albeit a little more to Harm than to Mac. After that, Harm and Mac watched as Janna helped her child try on the costume over her dress. They all clapped as the little girl, fully outfitted, gave them a twirl. The child had features very like those of her mother, especially her nose, mouth and chin. Her waist-long hair was a dark blond colour, with many streaks of light blond through it, caused by spending so much time in the sun. Taking the sight of her child in, Janna spoke up.

"She will not have shoes and a dress on with it later, but I think it will look very nice," she pronounced, nodding in appreciation, "Now I think we need to get you something to eat, sweetie, before you have your final rehearsal."

They both bid Harm and Mac goodbye and wandered off, presumably to go and find something for Mara's lunch.

"How do you fancy getting a bite to eat?" Harm asked Mac.

She nodded, so they both set off back to their accommodation, to change.

OOOO

Later that evening, once it had gotten dark, the parade was held down the main street. It was filled with lots of people of all ages, in colourful, vibrant attire and costume. Mara's school took part, filling three 'floats' (old pick-ups decked out in decoration.) However, their performance didn't take place until after the huge buffet dinner, during which Harm and Mac tried all manner of foods, most of which was barely identifiable. Harm and Mac weren't so sure that they actually wanted to know what the majority of it was, so didn't bother asking. Later, in front of the long lines of tables along which the island's people sat, the small school of twenty or so children took their places on the main stage and waited for the music to start. The music was provided by the same band of elderly men, whom Harm and Mac had listened to earlier in the day.

It was not hard to pick Janna's daughter out of the bunch of children, for she was the only white-skinned, blond haired one there, although she was almost as tanned as some of the other children. The little girls wore grass skirts and small bandeau tops, with the wreath of woven flowers around their head. The boys wore the grass skirts as well, although the skirts were shorter and they had nothing on top but bright, painted decorations stretching across their entire upper body. Harm and Mac smiled as they saw Janna's daughter obviously enjoying the performance, tossing her head and long, wavy hair in a carefree manner, seemingly not even having to think about the fast and intricate hand, arm and footwork. She was exceedingly skilled and had a great sense of rhythm, probably having been taught traditional dancing alongside the local children from an early age. Indeed, all of the children were exceptionally skilled at the fast, intricate movement required by the dance and Harm and Mac noted that, as Janna had told them, it did seem to have a mix elements of the Hawaiian and New Zealand national dances. As if it were not already impressive enough, as the song went on, it also sped up and so did the children's dancing. It culminated just as suddenly and as impressively as it had started and the crowds around the tables broke out into thunderous applause. Harm and Mac joined in and the children took a bow, before filing off-stage.

The music continued, as the feast resumed once more, but Harm and Mac were both stuffed to bursting point, so they decided to take a walk. After offering many greetings to various people along the way, Harm and Mac reached the beach and began walking along by the shoreline.

It was here, Harm later realised, that things had begun to get out of control.

In a gesture that took Mac by surprise, Harm had reached out and took her hand in his. While it didn't really imply anything much more than friendship (okay, maybe a little bit more) Mac was unused to Harm behaving in this way while they were on assignment. Usually, he was all about business, knowing that it would be inappropriate to get personal in front of fellow officers who were judging them both on the job they were doing and their professional demeanour. Perhaps it was their setting, a million miles away from the reality, pomp and circumstance of their usual, daily life. Whatever it was, something clicked on inside of Mac and she willingly moved closer to Harm, lacing her fingers with his. Harm made the next move after that, dropping her hand and winding his around her waist, to come to rest on her right hip. From time to time, as they chatted with increasing intimacy, he would squeeze her hip and run his thumb softly across the skin of her waist. As time went on, things became more and more intimate and more and more out of control and they were both virtually powerless to stop it. Over the past few months, Harm had fulfilled his promise to back off and wait for her to come to him and Mac had gotten used to this. She had sorted out the problems in her own head, but had not yet taken any step towards rectifying the problems between the two of them. She didn't have the first clue how to, the very notion scared the life out of her. And now, it seemed so much easier to ignore the issues that still needed to be addressed and just give into the need. Harm's advances made her feel alive, after so many months of living as a virtual ghost, at least that was how she felt, like she had only a half-existence. Because of this, Mac did the only thing she knew how to; she ignored the voice in her head telling her to face reality and deal with her issues and she launched into something that made her feel better, but which would never fix any of her problems in the long-term. She knew that she shouldn't, she knew in her heart of hearts that this was only going to get the both of them hurt. But a lot of pain in the distant future didn't seem too bad in comparison to a few hours of intense pleasure with the partner whom she had secretly been fantasizing about for years.

When they were far along the beach, away from the crowds and the grounding influence of the rest of the population, Mac started off the chain of events that would land them both in Harm's bed, with a kiss that was at first tentative, then fiery when Harm answered back all too willingly.

OOOO


	3. Chapter 3

I won't be around to post tomorrow, so I'll do it now, instead. I'm afraid it's just a short part, though.

Thanks again to those who left reviews!

OOOO

Part 3

"Mac," Harm hesitated, at first, "Are you sure about this?"

Mac only nodded, unwilling to break of the kiss that was getting steamier by the second.

"Mac…" Harm persisted.

Mac just ignored him and did something that would soon knock any logical thought out of his head. She backed Harm up against a palm tree, gently pushing herself against him and, at the same time, forcing her tongue hard into his mouth, letting him know, with little subtlety, that she wanted him. Now.

Before long, they had both found their way back to Harm's room at the guesthouse and they were frenziedly stripping each other of clothes.

Celebrations in the town were now almost completely wound-down and their street was virtually deserted. Even so, Harm went to close the slats of the closed French Venetian windows.

"Leave them open," Mac told him, her voice husky.

Harm didn't even question her, as he made his way back to her, picking her up in his arms and lowering them both to his bed. For the next few minutes, they just fooled around, both still in their underclothes, building up the tension, teasing each other's half-naked flesh. Even as it was going on, they both knew that doing this was crazy, it was no base to start a relationship on. But at that moment, they didn't really care.

They kissed and touched each other all over, enjoying all of the sensations that it emitted. But eventually, before he would go on any further, Harm went and closed the slats of the windows. People might pass by, on the way home from late-night partying and to leave them open would be just asking for trouble.

"Another time," Harm promised, kissing Mac deeply to placate her, "when it's less busy."

OOOO

When Mac came to,a short whilelater, Harm had collapsed on top of her, with his head cushioned against her breasts. Once their breathing had returned to normal, he remembered himself and moved to take his weight off of her, but she pulled him back.

"No," she told him, "Stay right there…"

"I'm too heavy for you," Harm protested.

"No," she shook her head, "I want to feel you right there."

Harm settled for rolling them both onto their sides, so that he was still in her arms, but so that she didn't have to tolerate his greater weight on top of her.

They fell asleep like this, until about four o'clock, the next morning. Harm had gently extricated himself from her arms to go to the bathroom. On the way back to bed, Harm noticed that the air had cooled considerably, as it was now raining outside. He went and opened the Venetian shutters and the windows, to look outside. The street was now deserted and silent. Everybody had obviously taken themselves off to bed. The partying had not lasted as late as he had thought that it would. And it gave him an idea. Mac was lying twisted up in the bed-sheets, in a sound sleep. He quietly made his way to her side of the bed and gently unravelled the sheets from around her, taking in each gorgeous inch of her unveiled skin as he did so. Her skin flushed with goose bumps as it was exposed to the cool air and she shivered, softly. Harm climbed onto the bed and straddled her, leaning down to gently kiss the skin of her neck, just below her left ear. He had noticed earlier that it had driven her wild when he nipped here, but he didn't want to wake her up just yet, so he softly ran his tongue over the skin, instead. After she had stirred a little, he pulled back and softly trailed his tongue slowly upwards, along the inside of her leg. When he reached her lower, inner thigh, he placed a nip or two against her skin, designed to both rouse and arouse. Then he trailed further northwards, leaving a series of open-mouthed kisses.

"Mmmm," she moaned, in approval.

"Want me to continue, Marine?" he asked, teasing her just a little bit more.

"You'd better," she told him, softly and Harm chuckled.

He loved bringing out the lean, mean, fighting Marine in her!

After a few deep kisses, he leaned to whisper in her ear.

"It's raining outside. Take a look, Sarah. Perfect weather for making love."

Her head shot round and her eyes widened as she saw that he had opened the windows, some time before.

"I said we'd keep them open, before, didn't I? I always keep my promises."

A thrill shot down Mac's body, from her head to her toes as she realised what he was talking about. They were about to make love with their bedroom window open and the threat of being caught only made it more exciting. The air was damp and with the sound of the rain and nature's creatures around them, Harm lowered himself down to her.

OOOO


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again to the wonderful reviewers! You guys brighten up my day!

Part 4

Harm woke up soon after dawn and his dream suddenly disappeared straight down the pipes, as he realised that Mac was no longer with him.

She was in her own room next door, pacing the floor and thinking about what a disaster this all had become. With the clarity of hindsight, she knew that what they had done was wrong…Well, maybe not the act itself. That had been beautiful, amazing…But the fact that it had come before they had sat down and worked out all of the past problems between them; that was wrong.

"How on earth could this possibly get any worse?" they both simultaneously thought to themselves. But they were wrong; it was about to get worse still, a lot worse…

Saturday, July 5th

700 Local

Malekula Guest House,

Malekula, Vanuatu

The next day the rain poured all day long, which wasn't all that surprising, due to the time of year. Nobody took it to be anything more than a seasonal storm. But as the hours passed, it became worse and worse. The trees along the main-street began to sway back and forth with the ebbing winds.

Harm and Mac decided to stay indoors and avoid each other and the embarrassment that a confrontation would bring, although they'd need to face each other sooner of later.

Gusts of wind carried showers of beach sand and the rain came down in strong sheets. Mac studied it all from her window. The rain was not the sort of rain that they got back in DC; it was the kind with huge, fat droplets, the kind that would have you soaked through in a matter of seconds. Still, at least this rain was a good deal warmer than back in DC. All of the local people seemed to know just when rain storms were coming, but to Harm and Mac they seemed unpredictable, announced only by a great gust of wind or a crackle of thunder, before the heavens let loose with their terrific burden. The pattern of rainfall beat an undulating tune on the corrugated iron roofs of the houses and Mac found it rather hypnotic. It was a shame they weren't within sight of the beach, she bet the waves breaking the shoreline would be something to see.

Just then, Mr. Matse, the owner of the small hotel shuffled past the open-shuttered window, off to take care of some task or other.

"Good morning," Mac greeted him cheerfully, and the pleasant, elderly man beamed back, "It's some day today, isn't it?"

Mr. Matse stopped to chat for a while, something he was fond of as it allowed him to showcase his good English. They talked of inconsequential things, the weather they were having; it was the cast-off of a tropical storm that was passing through some nearby islands, but would not be effecting them; his American childhood, where he had acquired his English, forty-seven years before; the research station, bringing many people to the island and contributing to the island's tourism. After this, he excused himself and shuffled off, waving good-bye and getting back to his chores. Mac continued to sit looking out of her window, just watching the world around her go quiet of human activity but bustling with nature's forceful power.

OOOO

She and Harm had dinner separately and they both retired to bed, with the fierce wind and rain still beating down upon the village.

Harm was asleep when the wind and rain began to pick up, but Mac was still awake, reading a magazine she had brought with her. The glossy images depicting Hollywood's A-listers seemed to be a world away from her surrounding now. She was suddenly distracted by a loud whine. It was almost as if the small hotel was protesting, she thought to herself, against the relentless wind and rain. It was really picking up, now. Mac decided that she'd go outside and see what was going on out there. She'd get some fresh air and nature's fury was bound to be more interesting than this magazine that she was reading for about the third time.

She put on a pair of sweats and sneakers, intending to perhaps take a bit of a walk under the sheltered walkway of the guesthouse. She was barely out the door when a huge gust of wind and rain hit.

"Oh my …" Mac thought to herself.

Suddenly something grabbed her arm and Mac took a second to register that it was Philip Matse, still in his pyjamas and slippers.

"Quick, we must get everyone out…Help me to knock on doors…"

Mac's military training kicked in and she and Mr. Matse hastily started to knock on the doors of the guesthouse. Harm's room was right next to Mac's, so was the first one on Mac's list. She banged urgently with her fist on the door and waited many tense seconds until Harm answered, dishevelled and confused.

"Mac! What the hell!"

Mac quickly pulled him out into the building mayhem that was the storm.

"Help me!" she shouted over the noise of the wind and rain, urgently.

As she banged on the next door and told the guest that they had to evacuate, Harm quickly snapped to and launched into action. By the time the guests were building up under the walkway, an ominous sound escaped from what seemed to be the very heart of the building. It was another groan, this time much louder than the first that Mac had heard. But this time it was accompanied by a nasty splintering noise.

"Faster!" Mr Matse shouted.

Everyone now launched into the operation and soon Mr. Matse was guiding them all away from the building and into the driving rain. The stinging sensation of the violent rain actually took Mac's breath away, but she was quickly distracted by the noise of the guesthouse seemingly splintering into pieces. Nobody dared look back but by the crash that shook the ground beneath them, they could tell that the building had collapsed behind them. They kept running and were joined by others evacuating their houses. They escaped into the rainforest, dazed and soaking wet.

OOOO


	5. Chapter 5

OOOO

Part 5

Sunday, July 6th

0600 Local

Malekula, Vanuatu

The dawn's light of the next morning revealed just how extensive the devastation was.

Harm and Mac woke from their place beneath the large tree that a small group of people had chosen to camp out beneath. Few of them had slept, but Harm and Mac were absolutely exhausted by the long week they had had.

"Morning," Harm greeted Mac, "You okay?"

Mac nodded, stretching.

"I'm a bit cold, but okay, really," she replied.

"It should warm up a bit, now the sun's up," Harm told her.

He had wanted to pull her closer and share body heat like they had the night before last, but knew that if he had done so, he would have only wanted more. Mac's detached attitude indicated that she was not interested in him that way, or at least he thought so. She was in actuality fighting just as hard a battle as Harm was.

They all got up and started to make their way out of the rainforest at a little past seven.

The devastation they were faced with took their breath away. Harm and Mac kept their emotions bottled, but could not help but be touched by the emotions that the others just could not keep back. Most of the houses had been completely swept away and all but the most sturdy of buildings had sustained substantial damage. Half the guesthouse did more or less keep its basic structure, but almost all inside walls and most of the roof had partially caved in. The second half, a less solid extension of the original building was completely gone. Harm and Mac knew instantly that if anyone had still been inside, then they would probably have been killed. Goodness only knew the toll that the storm had wreaked across the rest of the island.

OOOO

That afternoon, one group of villagers went out to the research station to check on any damage. Harm and Mac wanted to go with them, but they had already been recruited to help clear the debris that was strewn over every available yard. Although they both knew that such a thing was a part of life in the military, Harm and Mac both later admitted that they were glad they had not been there, for the research station, although still mostly standing, had been buried under a massive landslide of mud and fallen trees. Despite the villager's valiant efforts, it was found that all of those inside the building had perished, long before.

OOOO

Over the next week, Ham and Mac accompanied many expeditions to other villages on other parts of the island. They were all heart-rending trips, but none broke their hearts so much as the one to the other side of the island, to the village where Janna's daughter Mara was living. They didn't at first know that it was the village where the child lived, but they had not yet come across her. When they considered it, it was possible that they had just missed her, because many of the villagers had either fled into rainforest or were now missing, presumed carried away by colossal sea waves. When they first got into the village, they all clambered out of the pick-up truck, one of the few that were still in working order. They were immediately greeted by the sight of a line of dead bodies covered with any sort of material available. Because of the time since the storm, they had now begun to decompose and were emitting a strong, pungent scent. Harm lifted the corner of one and found that the body underneath had obviously been pulled from the water, because it was hideously bloated. Many of the other bodies were like that, too. They came in all sizes, the victims of all ages. Over the tiny shrouded figure of a child, a mother was crying her heart out, emitting a whimpering, heart-piercing cry. Harm and Mac averted their gaze and moved back, giving the woman the privacy she more than deserved. Through an interpreter, they learned that the storm had hit this village even harder, half an hour before it hit the main town, across the island. The waves had stormed up the beaches and washed houses away, along with many people who were still sleeping inside them. Many villagers hadn't known what awaited them, as most had been sleeping and this had all been so unexpected, the storm was meant to be miles away from here. Nobody knew why this had happened to the island of Malekula. Harm and Mac accompanied local islanders, surveying the damage. They talked to a couple more villagers, checked out some of the injured, but there was not much they could do, there were few first-aid supplies and the number of injured was great.

"This is awful," Mac commented to Harm, quietly, as they made their way back towards the pick-up.

They had brought canisters with them, because the water supply to their village was unaffected, but this was not the case in many areas. They were about to start to set up to begin to distribute it, when Harm felt Mac grab his arm.

"What is it, Mac?" Harm asked looking to Mac, then reflexively looking to where she was staring, open-mouthed.

As Harm's head whipped around, he caught sight of the skinny child, dressed only in a pair of small, tatty shorts, wandering barefoot through the muddy mess that was the disaster area. Her blond hair was muddy and tangled, but there was no mistaking who this poor skinny little creature was.

OOOO


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for all the excellent reviews that were left for me...It's great to log on and see them waiting for me while I get ready to update!

OOOO

Part 6

"My God, Mara…" Harm muttered, before dropping the tankards he was lifting and making his way towards the child. Mac was only a step behind him, hurrying to get to the child.

"Mara…Mara!" they both shouted, but the little girl gave no indication that she had even heard them.

"Mara, honey, wait!" Harm shouted and picked up his pace.

"Mara, Mara, whoa," he reached out and gently put his hand on her shoulder but the child started violently, dropping her shoulder down out of his grasp and staggering out of his reach.

"It's okay, sweetie," Mac moved to soothe the child, "We're not here to hurt you…"

Mara just turned her back on them again and hurried on her way. Harm and Mac soon fell back and settled for just watching Mara, there was no way they would be able to distract her from her mission. She just started rooting through a pile of debris.

"It was where her home stood," one of the villagers told the man interpreting, "The family she was staying with are all either dead, or missing."

"What is she looking for?" Harm asked the man interpreting, who relayed the question.

The old villager just shrugged his shoulders.

Feeling absolute sympathy for her, the only thing Harm could think of was to try and help the little girl in some manner. Mac just stood back and watched, unable to spur herself into any action, rooted to the spot where she stood. Harm approached slowly, but stopped a distance from Mara. He bent down and began lifting odd pieces of debris; sheets of corrugated iron, tree branches, objects unidentifiable under layers of mud. Harm had no idea what it was that Mara was looking for, but it was obviously important to her, so he would provide what help he could.

While they were searching, Mac turned to the interpreter and asked, "How on earth did she survive a storm that wiped out all of the people she was living with?"

Again, once the question had been posed to the villager, the man shrugged his shoulders. Mac shook her head, ruefully; there was little that made sense in this tragedy. She sighed softly then made her way to the debris pile and started helping sort through all of the wreckage. Suddenly the little girl let out a cry and dove into mangled wreckage, extracting the remains of the headband of flowers she had worn for the school performance at the village celebration. All the flowers had been bashed to oblivion, but the rudiments of the crown's shape remained. She clutched the ragged item in her hands and sat down amongst the debris. Her head fell down, her chin to her chest and started to whimper.

Harm and Mac approached her, cautiously, dropped to their haunches.

"Mara? It's okay, sweetie…Things will get better."

Mara only said one thing;

"I miss Mama…"

Mac looked to Harm.

Her look said clearly;

'Her Mother? How does she know about her Mother?'

Harm would never really find an answer, himself.

"Mara, honey, are you okay?" Harm asked.

The little girl shuddered through sobs, shaking her head.

"Hurts…" she managed to get out, through her grief.

"It hurts? Where does it hurt?" Mac asked, fearing that the child might have sustained some outwardly unidentifiable injury, "Can you show us where it is hurting you?"

The little girl let go of her headband with one hand and clutched it to her chest, above her heart.

"Here," she sobbed.

OOOO

Harm and Mac took Mara back with them in the pick-up truck, that evening.

They had wrapped a blanket around her, as they had no clothes with them that would fit her. All they had brought with them were much too big. Mac took Mara from Harm as he passed the child up. They settled into the far corner, with the child in between them. Lulled by the movement of the vehicle, Mara was in a half-sleep/half-trance for much of the journey back to the main village.

OOOO

Mara turned out to have quite a roving spirit.

When Mac woke up in the morning, on the floor of the disused school building, her heart immediately jumped into her throat and she exclaimed, "Harm!" Harm jumped straight up from where he was lying on the floor.

"Huh!" was the only coherent word out of his mouth.

"Mara's gone!" Mac informed him, urgently.

They both stumbled around the building, thinking that the child may have simply moved around during the night. The floor was packed with sleeping children, both those orphaned and those not yet claimed by their surviving relatives. But a quick search of all the dark heads of hair proved that she was not there. They both carefully manoeuvred through the rows of sleeping children and out of the door. First, they ran down the road in one direction, then in the other, conducting a visual survey of the area. They spotted Mara in the distance, walking with no urgency, down a rough dirt track. The child wore no shoes and only the pair of shorts that they had found her in. The shrivelled headband was clutched lightly in one hand.

"Mara…Mara, wait!" Harm shouted.

Mara again gave no sign that she had heard him.

He and Mac ran after her, but this time Harm knew not to make a grab for her and accidentally scare her. He slowed down and walked round and in front of her. Mara halted and slowly looked up, as if realising that the pair of men's shoes in her line of vision actually had an owner. Her gaze continued upwards until she locked eyes with Harm, at last showing that she was registering his presence. Then she looked to Mac.

"Mara, honey, where are you going? You scared us…we woke up and you were gone…"

The child already looked upset enough at this sudden confrontation, so Harm cut off, mid-sentence.

He just sighed and continued, "Okay, honey. It's okay, we're going to go and get some breakfast, now…are you hungry?"

The child slowly shook her head, but allowed Harm and Mac to lead her back to the shelter.

OOOO

A tent was set up outside the abandoned school building. The upper floors held families displaced by the storm, the lower floors were home to the orphans and children with no family members accompanying them. The tent was used to cook food for all of the villagers. Very little had been salvaged from the wreckage left by the storm, but there was some rice, corn and some emergency rations, which had been left by the US military forces.

"I never thought I'd be glad to see these again," Mac commented as Harm tossed her an MRI package.

"They're better than nothing," Harm sat down and unwrapped his own.

They both picked through their own packet and took turns in feeding some to the little girl between them. Mara was wrapped tightly in a blanket, leaning against the wall. She was drowsy and not really up to eating, all she seemed to want to do was sleep. She had been like this all afternoon and Harm and Mac were really becoming concerned about her.

OOOO


	7. Chapter 7

AN: I apologise for the delay in getting this posted. I'm having real problems getting anything to upload, so I'll just post the rest of this now. In future, I'll try my best to post everyday if I've begun a story, but I'd prepare yourself for delays. It don't mean to keep you all waiting, but it's something beyond my control...Enjoy the rest of the story!

OOOO

Part 7

They persisted, day after day, trying to keep her eating, for the girl was already very skinny and could not afford to lose weight. Soon afterwards, she caught a stomach bug and was plagued by stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Even the muscle dropped off her slender frame, in the space of just a week.

"Hey there," Mac greeted Mara softly, after coming in from helping with the cooking that the villagers all took turns preparing, "Are you feeling any better, sweetie?"

The child just shook her head, tiredly and snuggled further down into her blanket.

Mac sighed and sat down on the floor beside her. She wondered what she could possibly do to make the child feel a little bit better, for she had no medicines with her. She realised there was only one thing she could possibly do, so set about doing so.

Physical proximity and affection could sometimes work wonders, especially with sick children, she had learnt that much from her Godchildren. Reaching over, she lifted the little girl into her arms. At first Mara didn't seem to enjoy being moved, for she groaned with the upset that the movement caused her tummy.

"Alright, here we go...That's better, now, isn't it?" Mac asked her, once she was settled, wrapping her arms around her, while Mara snuggled in and nodded her head underneath Mac's chin. They stayed like this until Mara nodded off, Mac following her soon afterwards.

This was how Harm found them when he came home from the expedition he had left with, that morning.

"Hey," Mac greeted him when she opened her eyes, alert to the slight scraping noise his shoes made on the dirt floor, "How'd your trip go?"

"Great," he told her, "We managed to locate another store of medicines and first aid equipment. I got something for Mara's stomach."

He pulled a brown bottle out of his bag and knelt down beside Mac to rouse Mara. The little girl barely wakened enough to register anything, but swallowed the medicine uncomplainingly.

OOOO

Only a few days later, they got the shock of their life, when an unexpected old friend arrived in a small boat, with a couple of aid-workers and some RAN personnel. Even Harm admitted, AJ Chegwidden was a sight for sore eyes.

"Harm, Mac," he immediately greeted them, hugging them both warmly, "I'm glad to see you're both alright."

Harm and Mac, although at first caught off-guard, finally deduced that as their CO, he had never been able to show any affection he might have for them, but was now unrestrained in that area.

The newcomers may not have had much with them, but their help was welcome.

"We're okay, S…Uh, AJ," Harm told him, "We've just been helping out, trying to keep everyone well and clearing and rebuilding. But there's so much that needs done here and there just aren't enough hands."

"That should all change, now that people are finally here," Mac surmised, "There have been helos passing all week, but nobody has come near, until now."

"Nobody knows why it's taken anyone so long to react," AJ confided, "But it might have to do with the resources that were exhausted after that earthquake in China, a while back. But finally, people are starting to realise what has happened…"

He cut off as Mara exited the kitchen tent, saw Harm and Mac and came over. She raised her arms to Harm, who didn't hesitate to reach down and lift her into his arms.

AJ just raised an eyebrow in amusement and asked, "You have a new friend, Commander?"

"Yes, Sir," Harm smiled, but didn't say any more than that.

OOOO

After lunch that day, Mara settled again in Mac's arms, as the three adults sat under the tent.

Harm left not long after, as he was going out with a group who were helping to clear the mess the research station had been reduced to and see if there was anything more that could be salvaged from it.

AJ and Mac stayed where they were, because AJ was hoping to make a satellite phone call to JAG Headquarters, to up-date them on the situation. Mac was staying because Mara's condition had gone back downhill again and she wanted to keep the little girl closely monitored.

"The General got into touch with me as soon as reports of the storm started coming through," AJ told Mac, "It took a while to get me, because Francesca and I were travelling around. He asked me if I thought that you and Harm could possibly have survived this storm. I told him that of anyone could it was you and Harm. He told me that he had thought so himself, despite the SECNAV telling him otherwise."

AJ smiled to himself as he told Mac this.

"When I got here and saw the devastation," AJ continued, "I had some second thoughts. Before we even got here, we saw bodies in the sea. I knew that you and Harm could have survived the winds and the rain, with your basic training. But if you had had to fight the waves too, I wasn't so sure. It was the middle of the night when the storm hit. Nobody had any idea that it was coming, it changed direction so drastically."

"I was awake when the storm hit," Mac revealed, "I never thought I'd be glad for my insomnia."

They both chuckled, and Mara groaned at the slight shaking that Mac's chest made as a result.

"Is she feverish?" AJ asked.

Mac checked, putting the inside of her wrist to the little girl's head.

"No," she told AJ, "thank God."

Neither Harm, Mac nor AJ had ever thought about how precious a pack of paracetamol could ever be. Back home, if you ran out, you just went out to the drug store and bought another pack. Here, there was little to go around so many. They had three, in total to keep Mara comfortable over the next few days and they were lucky, because they had come from the emergency kit salvaged from the wreckage of Mac's room. They had a quarter of a whole packet, which was more than anybody else had. Mac was used to taking three in the space of a couple of hours. Mostly, the fever developed during the night, so Mara never had any during the day and it was only given to her half a tablet at a time. Without paracetamol to keep the temperature down, Mara could be in very real danger.

Many other children in the village were in the same state. The other villagers cared for them the best they could, but several of the orphans had little will to live, now that their parents were no longer around. There was no question of getting professional help for the children and the adults who had lost their very way of life and many friends, family and neighbours. But surprisingly, there were few volunteers for the job; the help coming to Vanuatu was a mere trickle. And who on earth could adequately understand what these rural, simple-living people had been through?

Mac stood from where she was sitting with Mara. Gently, she handed the little girl off to AJ.

"Here, sweetie, go and sit with Uncle AJ for a minute while I go and get something," she told the child.

Mara wasn't too fond of being moved and frowned and pouted, unhappily.

"Okay," AJ sighed, as he got Mara settled again, "That's it, we're going to be okay now."

He stroked the child's hair and regarded her, quietly. She was a lot like Francesca had been at the same age. AJ had rarely seen his daughter while she had been growing up, relying on photographs that Marcella had sent him, instead. Francesca had had the blond hair that had darkened as she got older. Even Mara's tanned skin reminded him of Francesca, who had inherited her mother's Italian features. Only their eyes were different, Mara's being a glazed, ill-looking green, whereas Francesca's were brown.

Mac arrived back at that minute, with handfuls of flowers that she had gathered from the nearby forest. AJ looked to her, questioningly and she told him, "she loves this."

AJ then realised that Mac was trying to distract Mara from how ill she felt.

"Mara?" she asked the little girl, "Do you feel good enough to help me with these?"

The little girl slowly raised her head off AJ's chest, gently shook it and then lay it down, again. Over the past few days, Mara had still been able to join in with Mac's games. But she had gotten worse each day. Today, it was a while before Mara eventually roused herself and slowly got to her hands and knees, crawling over the few feet to join Mac in making flower chains. But she had eventually done so, so that meant that hope was not totally lost.

OOOO

Part 8

When Harm returned that day, it was with a heavy heart.

"We didn't manage to find anything usable, today," he told AJ and Mac, who were sitting out under the tent, with Mara sleeping stretched out along the floor between them, "All the drug storages were destroyed by the water and mud. How's Mara doing?"

"She's worse," Mac told him, stroking the little girl's back, softly, "Her fever keeps spiking and we're struggling to get it back down without using the paracetamol. And there's worse…AJ made that call, today."

She looked to AJ and he began to explain.

"The General wants you both back in DC as soon as possible," AJ broke the bad news.

"How long do we have?" Harm sighed, irritably.

"Well, I didn't talk to him and AJ made no mention that he was actually with us, just that he'd encountered us when he arrived," Mac told him.

"I promised to 'pass the message along,' AJ chuckled, "So I'd say you have at least a few days."

"I'm not ready to leave, yet," Harm complained, "There's still so much that needs to be done…"

"That could all take up to a year, Harm," Mac pointed out, "We're going to have to leave at some point."

"But what about Mara?" Harm asked, "How can we leave her when she's this sick? And there's no question about taking her with us. She doesn't have a passport, she'd never get into the US, even if we do manage to get her that far."

Mac nodded in agreement.

"I say we take the next few days any way we can," AJ suggested, "We've got that long before you're charged with desertion!"

Harm and Mac just smiled, slightly at the joke and also because there was nothing else they could do other than begin to fall apart.

By the next day, when Harm returned from another salvage trip, he could see that Mac was looking as exhausted, physically and emotionally, as he himself was feeling.

"Is she okay?" he asked, indicating to the slumbering child next to her, then turned his attention to Mac, "Are you okay?"

"Mara's had another bad day," Mac told him and the exhaustion he could hear in her voice told him that hers hadn't been much better, "AJ and I have been struggling to keep her fever down, but we ran out of pills around lunch time. She's exhausted, but she only sleeps fitfully for a little while at a time."

"And you?" Harm persisted, "How much sleep have you managed to get today? You were up all last night with Mara."

Mac only looked at him, saying nothing.

"I'll take that to mean none, then," Harm surmised.

"When am I supposed to sleep?" Mac asked, "Mara could need m…"

"You have to take care of yourself, Mac," Harm cut her off, "Mara seems like she's resting okay just now. AJ will be back soon, so if she takes a turn for the worse, I'm sure he'll take care of her."

Harm had seen AJ when he first arrived, helping to dish out the evening meal to the group of orphaned children. He said he would return soon, as Mac had had a long and difficult day with Mara and he felt concerned that she was exhausting herself. That had been Harm's cue to persuade her to get some rest, so that she would be at least a bit more rested by the time Mara's temperature next decided to spike again.

"C'mon," Harm guided her to recline against him, wrapping his arms loosely but firmly around her. Mac was too tired to broker any sort of argument or even feel much discomfort about their close proximity before her eyes were forced closed on her.

It was barely ten minutes later when AJ returned, to find Mac sound asleep and Harm not far behind her. Harm was so close to sleep, he had to exert a special effort not to jumble his words as he spoke to his former CO.

"Mara's temperature is down," he told him, "but it probably won't stay that way for long."

AJ nodded, not even fazed by the sight of Mac in Harm's arms.

"You and the Colonel need to sleep. I'll keep my eye on the child, while you do," he ordered them.

AJ was confident enough in his abilities, because although he hadn't had much of a hand in his own daughter's life, he had ample experience in caring for members of his team, during his Seal days.

Secure in the knowledge that their charge would be well-monitored and taken care of for a while, Harm allowed himself to embrace the brief respite while it was being offered.

It was a little over an hour later that Mac awoke, still in Harm's arms. She was feeling fresher and as a result, feeling more optimistic about the challenge that they were faced with. She quickly came to the decision that no matter how hard the fight, she wouldn't stop fighting for the people of this island, until her and Harm's time there came to an end, no matter when that was.

Looking to their former CO, Mac didn't need to utter a word before Aj updated her on Mara's condition.

"She started heating up about half-an-hour ago, but it's not as bad as the fever she had this afternoon; it's not been too hard to control. Why don't you get some more rest, Colonel, she and I will be fine for the time being."

The next few hours were okay, but whether it was because Mac was better rested and therefore was thinking clearer or because Mara's condition had actually improving was uncertain. Mac hoped that it was the former.

But Mara's improvement proved short lived. She began to heat up again in the early morning hours. Then, after they had finally managed to settle her down and get back to sleep, Mara's condition once again declined sharply. The three adults were awoken soon after dawn by the cries of the ailing child.

"What is it, honey?" Mac took Mara in her arms, "Where does it hurt?"

Mara clawed at her head and pulled her legs up towards her body, so the adults surmised that she must be suffering from a headache and experiencing abdominal cramps.

"I think it's dehydration," AJ theorised, as he checked the firmness of Mara's skin. The indent that remained after he took his finger away told him that her body was low on fluids.

They quickly procured some purified drinking water and each took it in shifts to sit with the child and feed her the much needed fluids.

While Mac was caring for Mara that afternoon, Harm and AJ went to help out in the food kitchen for a couple of hours. When they returned, they brought with them a small bowl of clear broth.

"It'll help replenish the salts her body's been losing," AJ explained.

Mara was more eager drinking the soup than the water, but her stomach was not able to handle it and it came back up a short time later.

"She might keep small amounts down," Harm suggested and returned to the kitchen to get some more.

By feeding her a couple of spoonfuls at a time, they were able to keep her from vomiting again.

That night was much of the same; each hour spent painstakingly trying to spoon-feed fluids into her, but they could see that she was getting worse and worse, as she was able to keep less and less of it down. An hour before dawn, AJ noted with dismay how grave her condition was, when he saw how dry her mouth was and how she had stopped producing tears when she cried. Her body was shutting down, had grown so dehydrated that she was no longer eliminating from her bladder.

"This is definitely not good," he shook his head, worriedly, "If she isn't urinating, she isn't eliminating bodily waste products. They'll build up to toxic levels and her vital organs will go into failure."

It was maddening how Mara's body was crying out for fluids, yet her stomach was too dehydrated to handle anything less than meagre amounts, amounts too small to make any real difference. What she really needed was intravenous fluids, but they didn't have the equipment they needed to administer such medical treatment. The girl's pained cries were just as painful to them, as was the silence when Mara passed into the next stage of her decline. Eventually, Harm and Mac cuddled Mara between them, because she had no ability to control her body temperature and her wasted, exhausted muscles didn't even have the strength to shiver to generate some extra heat.

Despite their efforts the next day was even worse. Mara was no longer able to keep any fluids down. All of her strength was sapped after a few more hours of feverish delirium and by lunchtime, she could not even keep her head up. They all had to support the back of her head when lifting her and when she was held, the exhausted child just let it slump forwards or backwards, barely aware of anyone else's presence anymore. Her eyes were open lazily, but her eyes would wander uncontrolled and listless.

"She's slipping away, Harm!" Mac exclaimed, quietly as she and Harm watched AJ caring for Mara, a short distance away. He was trying to lift her from her place on a blanket on the floor and into his arms, so that he could try to get some fluids into her again. Her limbs and head flailed and flopped, like those of a rag-doll. She didn't even have the strength to cry out anymore.

"We're going to lose her if we don't do something!" Mac continued.

"What!" Harm demanded, "What can we do, Mac? I'd cross the entire ocean if it meant getting some hold of medicines for her. But we have no way off this island. All of the boats have been destroyed or swept away and we've had no more visitors from other islands in the area. I'm sure that they've been just as badly affected as Vanuatu."

"I can't watch it, Harm," Mac was now close to tears, "I can't watch that child die…"

"If it comes to that, you won't have to," Harm promised, "AJ and I will take care of her, if that time comes."

OOOO

Thankfully, it did not come to that, because a day later they were surprised by a squadron of helos passing over the island.

Mac had valiantly tried to get some fluids into Mara all through the night before, but the stricken child had vomited it straight back up again. She was not even keeping it down for a matter of minutes anymore.

Mac gently dropped her head to rest forehead to forehead with Mara and started to cry, softly.

Harm and AJ were just exiting the abandoned school building, having been to look through the bric-a-brac that had been collected, to see if there was anything that could be used to set up a makeshift IV line. They were discussing travelling to get hold of some saline liquid, when they caught sight of Mac holding the limp child to her. Both of their hearts jumped into their throats, fearing the worst, until Mara mustered the energy to give a weak bleat and they realized to their relief that she was still alive. They quickly started making their way towards the critically ill child and the exhausted, despairing woman, when they were surprised by the unmistakable sounds of helo blades.

They halted half way towards the tent and looked up into the sky. The helos came into sight and as they passed overhead, bundles of packages were thrown out. Small parachutes opened and the packages slowly floated to the ground. Harm followed and caught some, before they landed. He felt like singing aloud when he discovered what they contained. Hurrying towards Mac, AJ and Mara he fixed together a syringe and pierced a vial of antibiotic with the needle.

"Harm?" Mac asked, when he came back to them.

"Medicines!" Harm grinned, "They've sent us medicines!"

Mac and AJ broke out into delirious laughter too, once Harm's words sank in. Mac quickly extracted Mara's arm from under the blanket, but AJ halted her.

"She's so dehydrated that her veins have collapsed. It will act quicker if it's straight into the muscle…it doesn't look like there's much on her arms, anymore. How about her thighs or stomach?"

They had a look and decided that the wasted muscle in her thighs were their best bet. Mara barely registered the prick of the needle. Harm produced a bag of saline and set about administering it, as he knew Mara was unlikely to keep much water down anymore. He got the IV inserted as best he could into a collapsed vein, so that this way the fluid was bypassing her bad stomach and going straight into her bloodstream.

After that, Harm and AJ quickly split some supplies up and went to tend to the other sick people of the village. Mac just continued to hold Mara in her arms, praying that this would have some effect.

OOOO

The change in Mara was miraculous, to say the least. At first it was just simple things like the ability to track objects around her once more with her eyes and to keep down food or water. But after that night, Mara went from strength to strength.

One day later, Harm and Mac knew that they could not put it off at any longer. They contacted the general, who ordered them to be on the next available plane from the nearest airport. They explained that it might take another day to procure a boat ride to the capital. He told them to do what was necessary, as quickly as possible. He didn't want to hear any notion of them staying on in Vanuatu to assist with aid relief.

So that was that; there was nothing else to do but obey their CO's command. But they were about to get hit with yet another surprise.

OOOO

On the day they were finally able to procure a boat ride to the nearest island with an airstrip, they were discussing their plans with AJ. They had always assumed that he would be coming with them.

"The boat is coming for us at 1100," Harm told his former CO.

Mara was seated on Harm's knee even though he was trying to eat his breakfast.

"I'm not coming with you, son," AJ surprise him and Mac.

Their eyes widened and they both uttered, "Huh?"

"I'm staying here," he expanded, "You may have work to return to, but I don't. That's one of the joys of being retired."

Harm and Mac were surprised, but did not have much time to dwell on it. They were leaving soon, so invested all of their time in Mara.

OOOO

"Don't you worry about a thing," AJ shouted as he and Mara later waved Mac and Harm off at the remains of the village dock, "I'll take good care of this little one and will keep in touch with you."

They waved until the boat was out of sight then went back to the camp to help with the chores of preparing lunch.

OOOO

Part 9

Seven months later…

0900 Zulu

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia.

"Ma'am, you haven't heard from the Admiral, lately, have you?" Harriet cornered Mac while she was in the break room.

Mac just smiled at Harriet, who still called her former CO 'the Admiral', even though he was now retired.

"Not in the past couple of weeks," Mac told her.

In truth, it had been just over two weeks before when AJ had last contacted them from Malekula. He had exciting news that the rest of the JAG staff would find out by the end of today, but Mac was not about to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

"He was still on the island, helping to get everything set up. Last month, they had just got the research station back up and ready to run and were about to let the new staff into the finished building. Most of the remains recovered after the storm have been identified through DNA testing, but there are still a few orphans who have not been claimed by relatives. The internet has helped spread photos of most of the children, so if they have blood relatives out in the world, somewhere, they'll eventually find a home. Those who don't will be raised by the islanders."

"That's wonderful," Harriet nodded, "And the Admiral's daughter, Francesca? She wasn't too bothered about their tour of the States being cancelled, was she?"

"No," Mac shook her head, "AJ told her it was only postponed for a while. They'll resume it when she can arrange the time away from work again. She spent some time in Vanuatu last month and saw just what beneficial work AJ was doing there, so she understands completely."

They were interrupted by Harm, who had come to get his morning coffee fix.

He stuck around for the idle chitchat for a while and then wandered back to his office.

"Has he heard any word from Mattie, lately?" Harriet asked, worried.

"Not very much," Mac disclosed, "Mattie was supposed to come and spend some time with him over the holidays, but something came up with her Dad, so she's had to cancel."

"That's such a shame," Harriet lamented, "He loved that girl like his own, but now he's losing her, despite his best efforts. It's like the situation with his brother all over again."

"And his Father," Mac added, nodding sympathetically.

But Mac knew that the events of that evening would more than cheer up his woeful countenance.

OOOO

That night, Harriet had arranged a little get-together at McMurphy's, to celebrate Harm and Mac's homecoming. It was just under six months after the fact, but things had been extremely busy since they had gotten home from Vanuatu and Harriet was determined to show Harm and Mac just how worried the staff had all been about them and how glad they had been when they had gotten the good news that they were both alive and unharmed.

1845 Zulu

McMurphy's bar

"Do you need some help with those, Ma'am?" PO Jen Coates asked Harriet, as she saw the woman struggling from her car and towards the bar, with a stack of presents and a cake.

Harriet thanked her as Jen took a few of the presents.

"These are from the boys, Bud and I," Harriet explained, "We decided to really go to town with it all, because of everything that has been going on over the past six months. They've been very hard for Harm and Mac."

Jen nodded in agreement, adding, "Then to just launch back into the normal routine back here, after all of that. I don't know how they managed, especially when Harm was still missing Mattie so much…And Mac, too; this has been such a horrible year for the both of them."

OOOO

Little did they know that Harm and Mac's year had not been quite so terrible, at least not since they had gotten back from Vanuatu. A couple of weeks after arriving on US soil, Mac had finally quit trying to dodge Harm's attempts to discuss the events of their time in Vanuatu…

Knock, knock

Harm's expression portrayed his shock as he opened the door, only to find Mac on the other side of it. With all that had been going on during the last two weeks since their return, they had hardly seen each other outside the office. Each time they had, Mac had begged off having any sort of conversation about the events that had occurred between them when they were on the island. She asked that Harm give her some time to herself and Harm had been respectful about doing that, but had been close to deciding that Mac never intended to get back to him.

"Hey," he greeted her softly, 'Come on in…"

At first things were a little uncomfortable as they sat on Harm's couch together, trying to figure out how to begin. But Harm had decided that thinking too hard about what he wanted to say had got him into trouble in the past, so decided to speak his mind, without giving it too much thought.

"I don't regret anything, Mac," he spoke up, determinedly.

Now it was Mac's turn to be surprised.

"You don't?" she blinked.

"Not at all," Harm shook his head, "I wanted that for a long time…Maybe we did have a few things we should have talked about first, but I know that we would have sorted them out and got back to the subject of us."

"Us," Mac nodded her head, as she remembered the subject that she had pretty much cut him off at the knees in Paraguay, before Harm could even elaborate on his own thoughts.

"Us," Harm repeated, adding, "You said there never could be an 'us'…"

"Yes," Mac felt thoroughly ashamed now, "but I really didn't mean it. I just wanted you to act, to say something, to fight back and finally tell me what it was that you wanted. I was trying to force your hand and for that, I apologise."

"I didn't know what to say when you said that," Harm told her, truthfully, "It felt like somebody had stomped on my chest and all of the air was gone from my lungs. But I knew what my mind wanted to say; 'that there could be an us; that you were the only person I wanted and that I didn't care whether you were on top or I was, I'd take you any way I could get you.' I still think that, Mac. I can't move past this thing between us and I don't want to. This is what is meant to be. I believe that with all my heart and I'll fight for it as long as I draw breath…"

"Shh!" Mac put a finger to his lips, the tears now coursing down her face, "You don't need to keep fighting…I'm right there with you. I'm going to fight for this with you. We'll find a way, a way to be together. Despite all that has happened to us, between us. Despite the regs. I don't care what the General says, we're going to fight for this and we will both come out on top."

As Harm brought his forehead to rest gently against hers, their eyes drifted shut and Harm commented, "On top, huh? That sounds good, both of us being on top…But I meant what I said; I don't mind being underneath, as long as you're the one on top…"

They both broke out into chuckles, thinking about funny that sounded, in light of their night together.

Mac could see that Harm definitely didn't have any qualms about letting her be on top!

They took their time sorting through all of their feelings, the past words they had uttered to each other, words that had hurt, words that had misled.

Despite the bruised and fragile egos that had returned from Vanuatu, they did manage to clearly communicate what it was that each of them wanted; a serious relationship and not just a simple fling, which was what each of them had been fearing the other thought. They had identified a direction in which to work on constructing a relationship. Things were good between them, though they tried not to focus on how serious it was getting, at least not just yet.

Keeping in touch with AJ and finding out how the islanders were all getting back onto their feet, after they had been through so much, helped them in doing so, because it showed them just how petty their problems were in comparison.

OOOO

Harm showed up for the party at a little after seven and quickly joined in with a game of pool between Jen and some of the civilians and junior officers in the office. He was starting to wonder what could be possibly be keeping Mac, when she appeared through the front doors.

OOOO

Part 10

She wore a pair of casual, form-fitting jeans, along with a pretty, dark maroon, v-neck blouse. To say that she looked fantastic was an understatement! Everyone began to welcome her and several people, including Harriet, handed over presents that they had bought for her. Harm had a pile of his own sitting on the table beside his bottle of beer.

But then Mac called for silence to reveal a little surprise of her own. She stood by the bar and got everybody's attention;

"I know you're all keen to just kick back and enjoy yourselves," she started, "but if I could have your attention for just a minute, I'm sure you'll like this just as much as I do. As many of you know, before we came home Harm and I were joined on Malekula island by our old friend and former CO, AJ Chegwidden. AJ went on to stay on Malekula after Harm and I left. I've been keeping in good contact with him since then and I'd like to just update you on his status. He's keeping well and has been doing a lot of good work, helping to rebuild the villages on the island and also to help trace family members of the children and who survived the tropical storm. He asked me to just let all of you know that he's very thankful for all of your good-wishes and also your generous contributions towards and fund-raising events to benefit the disaster relief fund…"

"I think I can express my own gratitude, Colonel…"

AJ Chegwidden suddenly appeared through a side-door, which had been left open in planning for the big surprise.

Everyone gasped and smiled in shock and surprise, whipping around to face their former CO. He was thinner, more muscled, decidedly more tanned, and he was not on his own. Perched in his arms was a tanned little girl in a light-green dress, with long, dark-blond hair and piercing green eyes.

Mac was breathless and felt the tears begin to sting as she marvelled at the change in the little girl since she and Harm had seen her last. This vibrant little creature bore little resemblance to the weak little skeleton into whom they had struggled to introduce sustenance, just months before. You would not be able to believe that she had literally been at death's door, only 28 or so weeks ago.

"Sir!" Bud grinned, moved to shake hands with the AJ.

"The name's AJ, Bud," AJ corrected him, "I'm no longer your CO; I'm retired, now."

"It's so good to see you…" Bud could think of nothing more true to say, although it seemed so obvious, so he turned his attention to the little girl in AJ's arms, "And who's this pretty little lady you have with you?"

Everyone crowded around as AJ introduced Mara.

"This is Mara," he started, "Right now, the paperwork is still going through, but I'm hoping that sometime soon, she'll legally become my daughter. Mara, these are all our friends. Papa used to work with them. You remember Harm and Mac, don't you?"

The little girl nodded, excitedly as she looked where AJ pointed and picked out Harm and Mac's faces.

"They knew Mama," she surmised, smiling.

"That's right," AJ nodded, "Your Mama helped them with their important work at the research station, didn't she?"

The little girl just nodded again, her gaze fixed on Harm. She had always had a strange affinity to him.

"You want to go over and say hello to them?" AJ asked, looking at the expression on her face.

"Yes please, Papa," she nodded.

AJ set her down and Mara hurried towards where Harm and Mac now stood, Mac having made her way through the crowds as AJ was speaking.

"Hey!" they both greeted her, enthusiastically, as she skipped towards them.

After scooping her up, Harm and Mac took a good look at her and marvelled at the change in her. It had only been seven months, but she looked just as healthy as any other child. She had put on a good, healthy amount of weight, had gained some good muscle tone and some height, too. Even her hair seemed more vibrant than it had been. She simply oozed with life!

"It's so good to see you!" Mac hugged her, "You're looking so well!'

"Are you doing good at school?" Harm asked her, patiently waiting his turn.

She nodded, but told him, "Papa says I can start at a new school, this fall. But first, we're going to see my new big sister! We're going to take a plane all the way to Italy, where she lives!"

"Wow!" Harm and Mac both exclaimed.

"And guess what?" Mara continued, excitedly, not even waiting for Harm and Mac's reply, "I've got a new step-mommy! Her name is Marcella and she and my sister are going to teach me Italian!"

Harm and Mac both laughed, delightedly.

"What else are you and Papa going to do?" Mac asked, still laughing.

"Papa and Francesca are going to take me to see this huge fountain in Rome and we're going to throw pennies into it and make a wish. Then me and Papa are going to take the ferry and the train to Mostar!"

Harm and Mac's eyes went wide and they turned to AJ, who had made his way over to take a seat at their table.

He explained, "Janna originally came from Mostar. Mara was born there, then they moved to Vanuatu when she was two years old."

"Can we go and see the hospital where I was born, Papa?" Mara piped up.

"Yeah," AJ nodded, indulgently, "I'll find out where it is and what it's called, then we'll go and take a look around."

"Can Francesca come, too?"

"Francesca has to work, sweetie, but she's promised that she'll come another time, instead. We're going to go and visit her and her mother in Italy often, so there will be plenty more trips to Bosnia."

"Guess what, Mara?" Harm got the little girl's attention.

"What?" she grinned, instantly picking up on the pending game.

"Guess who has been to Bosnia before?" he built the tension up even more.

"Who!" Mara demanded, eagerly, her eyes twinkling.

Harm looked to Mac, who smiled and declared, "Me!"

Mara squealed with delight and clapped her hands together.

"Did you go to Mostar?" she asked, just managing to get her excitement under control.

"No, but I went to Sarajevo," Mac told her.

"Mama used to tell me about Sarajevo!" Mara exclaimed.

"What did she tell you about Sarajevo?" Mac asked, indulgently.

"She told me stories, about what it used to be like, when she was a little girl."

Mac smiled and beckoned her over, "Come and sit here with me and tell me the stories she used to tell you about Sarajevo…"

Mara happily climbed over and onto Mac's knee then started babbling away to her, telling her the things her Mother used to tell her about the capital of their home country.

Mac then told her about all of the things she had heard about Sarajevo, before the war had started and things there had become a battle-zone (Mac had only been stationed there long after everything there went to hell in a hand-basket.)

OOOO

Three hours later and they were still all there. Mara was still as lively, despite the late hour. She was now perched on Jen's hip, who had formed an instant bond with the little girl. Harm, Mac and AJ watched them as they talked over the loud music playing.

"So Mara hasn't got any surviving family?" Harm asked AJ.

AJ shook his head, "Most of Janna's family are dead. Many of them died during the war in Bosnia. She lost two brothers and a sister before she graduated from college. Her brothers were in the armed forces and her sister was killed during a military strike on a factory. Her parents died in the years immediately after the war ended, they were quite old, as she was a late child. Her maternal aunts and uncles are all elderly or have large families of their own to take care of. The name of Mara's father was not on her birth certificate, so I'm assuming that he never stuck around. Mara says that her mother never talked to her about him."

"Do they anticipate how long it will be until the adoption is finalised?" Mac asked him.

"At least another month," AJ replied, "But they're certain that there will not be any other problems, now. We had to deal with finding a lot of documentation and paperwork, but it's all taken care of, now."

"Congratulations!" Harm and Mac bid him.

"Thank you," he thanked them, then exclaimed, "But damn, I never imagined eight months ago that I'd ever contemplate becoming a father again, not at my age! That kid has me feeling younger than I have in years! I'm so busy providing for her that I barely even think about it, nowadays."

"You're only as old as you feel," Harm agreed, "What did Francesca say when you told her what you planned?"

AJ chuckled.

"At first, she thought I was crazy!" he admitted, "It was Marcella who actually took to the idea better! But as soon as I sent some photos of Mara, Francesca began to change her mind about the whole idea. And when she met Mara for the first time! They became so close. At that point, it wasn't certain that the adoption would be possible, so I hadn't actually told Mara about my idea. But once the adoption was deemed possible, she was ecstatic about it…and the thought about getting a big sister and a stepmother. She was more excited than me about it all!"

"Has Marcella met her?" Harm asked.

"Not yet, but she's seen photos of Mara. She told me that she fell in love with her, instantly. She says that Mara's the second child that we never got to have," AJ chuckled.

Harm and Mac were so glad to see him this happy. And of course, there was also that happy little girl who had been given another chance at being part of a happy family.

In the end, AJ knew he should prepare to make an exit with his soon-to-be daughter, so started to make the rounds of all of his former staff, bidding them farewell and good-luck. He had pulled a disappearing act during his dining-out when he retired from the Navy, but tonight he felt even closer to all of them, if it were possible. By the time he got around to his former Chief-of-staff and her Navy partner, his head was spinning.

But his world turned right-way-up again when he saw whose arms Mara had chosen to fall asleep in. AJ was still standing, stock-still, just observing Mac with the little girl when Harm joined him on his way back from the men's room.

"She's a natural, isn't she?" AJ found his tongue again, once he noticed that Harm seemed just as short of words as he was.

Harm just regarded his partner, silently and nodded.

"I can only hope that Mara develops as good a rapport with Marcella," AJ commented then turned to Harm, to ask, "Is it just me or do I detect a change of status between yourself and our fair Colonel?"

Harm couldn't hold back the grin on his face and this was all that was all the answer that AJ needed.

"You're a lucky man," AJ told him, "She's going to make a fine mother someday. And I can only ever see her as being the one to make a family man out of the great Harmon Rabb Jr!"

Harm laughed, adding, "Yes, Sir. Myself included."

"Then make sure you get that ring on her finger, when the time is right," AJ instructed, "I'll expect to find a wedding invitation in my mail-box, one of these days, Commander."

Despite the serious hinting behind the joke, AJ was a little shocked when Harm slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and came out with a small, square jeweller's box.

"You won't be waiting too long, I assure you, Sir," he informed him, "I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity."

"Good man!" AJ could hardly contain his glee. Harm and Mac had both been like children to him since they had been transferred into his command. However, for the sake of surprise, he could not show his delight any more than he just had.

"I'll expect to hear from the two of you soon about the wedding date, then," AJ surmised, as he shook Harm's hand and set off towards where Mac was standing with Mara still asleep in her arms, now talking to Jennifer Coates.

Harm watched as AJ bid them both goodbye after taking his child back. As Mac gave him a goodbye hug, her eyes met up with Harm's and reciprocated the genuine smile she saw on his face. This was a happy occasion; there were smiles all around and Harm couldn't help but grin inwardly as he noted that Mac had no idea just what the night would bring…

FIN

As I've already mentioned, I began this story in December 2004. Little did I know about the events that would happen in the early morning of Boxing Day, or during the full year of 2005. But despite all of the tragedy, the tremendous loss of life, the number injured and left homeless, there has been one shining beacon of light and hope present throughout; the tremendous support, which we have seldom seen on such a scale. Natural disasters have the capacity to cause utter devastation, but they also bring out the humanity in people from all over the world together, no matter their socio-economic status, wealth, religion, colour, creed…As long as there are those who need assistance in the world, it is important that we all sit up, pay attention to what is going on and do our uttermost to help.


End file.
